How Cannabis Helps Ease Symptoms Of ALS

May 08, 2017

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects many Americans today. The onset of the disease is sudden and typically affects adults between the ages of 40 and 70. Diagnosis can seem like a death sentence, but there are treatment methods that can drastically improve a patient’s well being.

Often a mixture of pharmaceutical treatments are used to help relieve the painful symptoms of ALS. Fortunately, cannabis flower, edibles, and other cannabis-infused topical treatments have shown to be a comprehensive therapeutic option that can help ease the pain, inflammation, and mood changes of a patient.

ALS Lowers Quality of Life

ALS is caused by a degeneration of motor neurons located in the brain and spinal cord. As these motor neurons die, the muscles that depend on them begin to wither away as well. Patients begin to experience painful muscle spasms, rigidity, and inflammation.

Additionally, patients report that they have trouble breathing, swallowing, and eating due to weakened muscles in that area. Unfortunately, that is the reason that many ALS patients die of respiratory failure. Even with breathing aids or a tracheotomy, the risk of respiratory failure is still present.

Once spritely individuals begin to lose basic motor functions leading to more cases of tripping, dropping things, speech impairments, and rigidity of muscles. In many cases, patients have found that medical cannabis makes all of these symptoms bearable, thereby, improving their ability to handle day-to-day activities.

Current Treatment Options for ALS

ALS treatment usually includes a litany of drugs to treat specific symptoms. For example, antioxidants help protect cells from degenerating. Neurotrophic growth factors and anti-inflammatory medications can help suppress pain. Mitochondria-boosting agents can give cells energy to carry out its intended function.

There are also synthetic versions of THC that have not been as effective as cannabis itself. A synthetic THC drug, Dronabinol, caused patients to feel too sedated citing overwhelming psychoactive effects. Consuming organic and pesticide-free cannabis is a far more effective method of treating ALS.

Cannabis Improves Quality of Life

Preclinical studies and surveys have shown that cannabis can help alleviate symptoms of neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s. It’s not farfetched to think that cannabis could help a neurological disease like ALS. Medical cannabis researchers believe that our endocannabinoid system, which regulates internal biological processes, is linked to the progression of ALS.

A 2006 study showed that certain cannabis compounds could bind to cannabinoid receptors, specifically CB2, that help delay ALS symptoms in rat models. How does this happen? Cannabis is made of cannabinoids that resemble naturally-produced compounds in our body. Cannabinoids interact with cell receptors found throughout our body, all a part of our endocannabinoid system, and elicit positive biological responses. That’s the reason that cannabis can have multiple therapeutic benefits.

The interaction between cannabinoids and our endocannabinoid system can relieve inflammation, pain, muscle spasms, stimulate appetite, act as a bronchodilator and a neuroprotective antioxidant. Cannabis can also help ease an often overlooked symptom of ALS, depression. THC in cannabis is known to give medical patients a feeling of euphoria.

Cannabis can improve a patient’s quality of life dramatically. It can turn unbearable, intense pain into manageable pain. Green Door West makes it easy and convenient to order organic, vegan, and pesticide-free cannabis products online delivered right to your door. Whether you want to use cannabis alone or with other ALS medications, organic cannabis can add be a natural and effective way of treating your illness.